Long Beach weathers the storm

Long Beach schools closed Thursday; city's DPW crews ready to roll

A powerful winter storm was making its way up the East Coast and was expected to hit Long Island sometime after midnight on Thursday.

Credit: COURTESY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

By Scott Brinton and Bridget Downes

A powerful winter storm is expected to hit Long Island early after midnight on Thursday morning, bringing with it snow, frigid temperatures and heavy winds.

City Council Vice President Anthony Eramo said he’s expecting four to six inches of snow in Long Beach, but is mostly concerned with the temperature dropping to the negative teens.

“We’re more concerned with power going out because of the wind, and pipes freezing,” he said on Wednesday, adding that 30 to 50 mph wind gusts are expected.

The Long Beach school district announced on Wednesday that all schools would be closed on Thursday.

Most parts of Nassau County were expected to receive three to six inches of snow, while Suffolk could see anywhere from six inches to a foot of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

Weather forecasters warned that the storm system could shift off its current track. If it were to veer farther east, into the Atlantic, snow totals could be smaller. If it were to steer to the west, however, snow totals could be higher for all of Long Island.

The extreme cold could potentially cause hazardous conditions, according to the NWS. The temperature could drop to as low as 10 degrees, or as low as -5 degrees, with the wind chill factored in. Winds could gust to as high as 40 mph.

The city will deploy about 10 trucks to sand and salt the roads to make conditions safer for residents. Once the snow begins to fall, Eramo said, up to 61 pieces of equipment, including plows and payloaders, will be on the road to make sure streets are passable.

To prevent pipes from freezing, Eramo said, keep cabinet doors open to expose heat to them, and keep one faucet running with a slight drip to create water movement.